Psalm 135:15. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
All hail the power of Jesus’ Name this Friday morning Friends!
And all believers joyfully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! Thank Him for allowing us to see another bright and bountiful day! Thank Him that it’s Friday and we’ll soon get a much needed respite from our labour! Yes, thank God, it’s Friday!’
And that’s the way it ought to be my people, because it’s Almighty God who enables us to do all that we do. He is most definitely the ONE who enables us to get jobs, wealth, prosperity, peace joy and LOVE in this ungodly world, in these very troubled times!
As you can see mih breddren, Friday has come around again, and as always, we need to chant our Friday Chant, so that we can choose and keep the right options presented or available to us, and thus gain true perspective. (smile)
So let’s chant in full and grateful voice nuh: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Great chanting mih people! Now let’s turn to our new Bit. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
And yuh know what Friends, all that stuff that’s gone before fits our Bit to a ‘T’. And it wasn’t my brilliance either, but the leading of the Holy Spirit. It’s only after I decided on the Bit that I realized how pertinent it was to the weekend.
And you ask why? Because it’s usually on the weekend, when we have some spare time, time to ourselves, that we most often turn to the idols of the world, the man made stuff which takes up so much of our time, and leaves little, if any for God.
We can always make, or find time for the television, the 500 channels with so much nonsense on most of them, that only about a dozen, if so many, are truly worth watching. Don’t talk about the computers, the cell phones, the tweeting on Twitter, the posting of our private and personal business on Facebook and all the other social media.
Unwise actions that are only getting us in trouble and causing our young people to get even dumber than they already are, while the purveyors of all the nonsense clap their hands in evil contentment and laugh all the way to the bank.
And they’re numerous other worldly things that we pay unnecessary attention to, which then become idols; like cars, houses, money, political power and social status, hoping that they will bring us joy and happiness on this earth.
But Friends, I’m hear to tell you that it’s all a fallacy, a fantasy, a great sham, engineered and perpetrated by Lucifer and his evil cohorts, to turn us away from the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
If you ask a lot of supposed believers, when last they went to church or read their Bibles, too many would be at a loss to give you an answer. And when you ask them why, the answer is usually they’re too busy.
Too busy doing what eh? Too busy pandering to the idols and things of the world! But my brethren that’s the wisdom of the foolish! For if you’re too busy for God now, in your time of need, He will also be too busy for you.
Our God LOVES us unconditionally and with great passion, but just like we don’t, or rather are not supposed to put up with disobedience from our children, He doesn’t put up with disobedience from us.
And listen to the psalmist as he continues to tell us about the greatness of the Lord and the vanity, uselessness of idols. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.’ (Ps.135:15-18)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! The idols of the world are pure foolishness! Some of them are indeed useful in our earthly lives, but to place as much attention on them as we do, to kill ourselves in acquiring them is certainly not wise.
How can you treat stuff made by man, as God eh? Especially when they have eyes but can’t see; ears that can’t hear, mouths without breath and can’t talk, and the men who made them have to carry them around.
Oh Friends, I’ll leave us to ponder those questions that we’ve raised today, sincerely hoping that many of us who worship these idols will see the light, will get some godly insight into our unwise actions.
May the Lord open our eyes and grant us true wisdom this Friday morning, for we badly need it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Much LOVE!
…where’s the sense in worshipping dead idols eh…when there’s a vibrant and living Deity…known by names such as… Yahweh, Jehovah, The Most High, Almighty God…who’s created all…and still controls everything…
P.S. No complaining about the length of the Bit today please, because it’s pretty short. (smile) Much LOVE!
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 September 2013 Joshua 1:8
14 Sep 2013 Leave a comment
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Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 August 2013 Luke 18:14.
18 Aug 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abased, arrogance, Bible Study, boastfulness, condemned, confession, contempt, contrition, corruption, dance, despicable, divisions, exalted, extolled, false accusation, fasting, fellow believers, fellowship, first shall be last, forgiveness, futile arguments, glorify God, God's mercy, haughtiness, high esteem, humble, hypocrite, justification, justified, last shall be first, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, motives of our heart, outward actions, outward religious expression, penitent heart, pharisee and the publican, Pharisees, piety, praise, pride, Pubilcans, rejoice, religion, repentance, resentment, restore fourfold, Sabbath Day, salvation, seat of sin, sing, sinner, son of Abraham, Son of man, sunday fellowship, superiority, tax collectors, the letter of the law, theology, tithes, true state of heart, true wisdom, undeniable truth, unworthiness, wonderful god
Luke 18:14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Oh mih people, is Sunday; fellowship day for most of us! So please let’s get out there and gather with those of like minds, and sing and praise and glorify our great and wonderful God! Wow! What a privilege that is!
And all God’s people joyfully declared: ‘Yes, let’s fellowship in the name of the Most High God Jehovah! Let’s sing and dance and rejoice before Him, for His goodness, mercy and LOVING-kindness endures forever!’ And that’s certainly gospel truth!
By the way, for those of you who celebrate the Sabbath on Friday or Saturday, I surely hope that you got out and joined your fellow believers in giving thanks and praise and worship to our Creator, because one of His earliest commands was to keep the Sabbath Day holy. (Ex.20:8)
And we won’t argue about which day should be rightly considered the Sabbath Day, since that will only bring about more futile arguments and cause more resentment and divisions, of which we already have more than enough. Suffice it to say, that whatever day your denomination has chosen, just make sure you do as the Lord commands.
And today Friends, I want to again talk about the parable of the Pharisee and the publican or tax collector, but in a little more detail. I am also going to quote the verses again, because the scholars have some very interesting info on each of them, info I believe can be very useful in our Bible Study.
So here we go: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.’ (Luke 18:10)
The scholars say thus about that verse. ‘Publicans (tax collectors) were known for being corrupt. Pharisees on the other hand were held in high esteem by most. Listeners here would have expected the Pharisee to be extolled and the tax gatherer condemned.’
Yuh see that mih breddren, because we look up to outward religious expression, we’d be quick to condemn the corrupt tax collector, while raising up and praising the hypocrite Pharisee. So please don’t let outward expressions of piety fool us. That’s why God chooses to look at the motives of our heart and not outward actions.
Turning to the next verse: ‘The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.’ (vs.11)
And the scholars nail this: ‘Standing was a usual position for prayer, but here standing suggests a certain arrogance. (Compare the sinner’s hesitancy in vs.13) A sense of personal superiority is not a good reason for thanking God. It is rather in itself a cause for repentance.’
That’s undeniable truth Friends! Please remember that our God totally dislikes pride and arrogance.
Meanwhile, the ole hypocrite Pharisee continues: ‘I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all I possess.’ (vs.12)
And the scholars declare: ‘This is not exaggeration, but an example of how Pharisees truly exceed the letter of the law in their piety. But their pride and contempt for others reveals the true state of heart.’
No wonder Jesus was always on their case.
‘And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote (beat) upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.’ (vs.13)
To which the scholars note: ‘The heart was regarded as the seat of sin. The publican’s action implies acute contrition and a sense of personal unworthiness. To obtain forgiveness he thinks not of his own works but solely of God’s mercy.’
And that’s the way it ought to be my people! For as Jesus tells us in our Bit: ‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’
And the scholars say of that verse: ‘The publican’s anguished confession would be followed by results in keeping with his repentance. (See 19:8.) But justification by faith comes independently of the works which that justification produces. Such works are the result and not the cause of God’s accepting the sinner.’
And we see this all borne out in Luke 19:8, where Zaccheus the tax collector, confesses in repentance after he associates with Jesus. ‘And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.’ (Luke 19:8)
To which the scholars add: ‘Zaccheus’s confession reveals a penitent heart. If does not suggest doubt that he is guilty of wrong doing; the only question is to what extent. Leviticus 6:1-5 stipulated that illegally gained money had to be returned, plus one-fifth. A fourfold return was legislated where livestock were concerned. (Ex.22:1, 2 Sam.12:6).’ Please read those scriptures.
And what was Jesus’ reply to Zaccheus’ contrition? ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)
Oh Friends, let’s hope from all that, we gain the wisdom to do away with foolish pride, arrogance, haughtiness, boastfulness, superiority and all those similar things that the world cherishes, but which the Lord finds totally despicable! For that my brethren, is indeed true, true wisdom! Much LOVE!
…in the day of reckoning…he that is first (proud) on earth…shall be last in heaven…and he that is last (humble) on earth…shall be first in heaven…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 14 August 2013 2 Corinthians 1:3
14 Aug 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: 2 corinthians 1, adoration, adversity, attributes of God, awesome truth, blessed be God, bounden duty, comfort, comforted of God, compassion, countenance, deliverance from the world, disciples, don't quit, eternal life, ever-LOVING God, evil, faith, faithfulness, foolishness, forgiveness, foundation of the world, generous, god, god of all comfort, God's LOVE endures forever, good hands, gospel truth, grace, guidance of the Holy spirit, hand to hold, heavenly places, hold our heads up high, holy, hope, jehovah god, live a life that magnifies Jesus, lord jesus christ, lost souls, LOVE, LOVE for one another, loving, made right, made whole, magnanimoud God, mediocrity, mercy, New Testament, peace, praise, promises, reconciled to God, religion, respect, reverence, sacrifice for sins, salvation, Satan, saving, sin, sincere adoration, spiritual blessings, stand strong in Jesus' Name, standing strong for Jesus, surrender your will, the Father of mercies, the God of All Comfort, the Lord of all creation, theology, tribulation, true believers, true wisdom, trust, unjust ungodly world, wallowing in the mire of unbelief, without blame, wonderful gifts, worship
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.
Aye mih Friends, is Wednesday, the middle of the week! How we doing eh? We still standing strong for Jesus? I surely hope so, because that is the only true wisdom that exists in this world. Anything else is foolishness.
So please let’s keep standing strong in and for Jesus, since He is the ONLY ONE who has all the parts to see us happily and joyfully through this evil, unjust, ungodly world.
And it all stems from the hope, trust, and faith that we find when we come to Jesus in sincere adoration and worship. But unfortunately too many of us don’t use the power that we have, we keep on wallowing in the mire of unbelief and mediocrity.
But what’s the purpose of having all that power which emanates from Jesus; all those wonderful promises, all the faithfulness, compassion, mercy, grace and LOVE, if we don’t use them productively? None whatsoever!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.’
And isn’t that the God-awesome truth my brethren? It surely is!
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:4)
Yes Friends, God comforts us in our trials and tribulation so that we can comfort others going through their own periods of adversity.
Now here’s what the scholars say about those two verses. ‘Blessed (Gr. eulogetos), “well spoken of”) is used in the New Testament of God, (e.g. Eph.1:3). It is a term of adoration and praise.
The Father of mercies: The mercies in view here include everything from deliverance from the world, sin, and Satan, to participation in sonship, light and life. But the force is even more than this. The stress is that the Father is characterized by mercy (cf. Ps.86:5; Dan.9:9; Mic.7:18)’
Oh Friends, please take a moment to read those scriptures because they give us a very good picture of the wonderful God that we serve and of His attribute termed mercy.
Let’s remember though that His main attribute is LOVE, and that everything else springs from that LOVE; a LOVE that is shown to us through His mercy, grace and forgiveness, and above all the sending of His Son, Jesus to die as a sacrifice for our sins, so that we could be reconciled to Him, receive salvation and eternal life.
Wow! What an awesome God we worship my people! There’s no other supposed God who offers His subjects, no not subjects, but His children such wonderful gifts. That’s why His LOVE still endures, and will endure forever!
Oh my brethren, in this crazy, troubled and wrong-directioned world, there’s no better hand to hold on to than that of Jehovah God! If you think All State has good hands, that’s a joke compared to what the Lord of All Creation has.
So, as expected of true believers, let’s hold our heads up high nuh and live a life that magnifies Jesus, and glorifies God the Father, through the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, by bringing lost souls to Him for saving and LOVING.
And this is admirably borne out by Bruh Paul’s greeting to the Ephesians: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in LOVE.’ (Eph.1:3-4)
Ah Friends, I’ll say it again: What a mighty and magnanimous God we serve and worship!
The sad part though is you’ll never know it unless you surrender your will and all else to Him. And I’m talking here from personal experience, because everyday I experience His LOVE and faithfulness in some manner or other, just like all those who sincerely believe and trust and live for Him.
And in closing, I want to remind us, just in case we forgot (smile) that in Christ Jesus there’s no quitting, regardless of how hard life gets. There’s just no quitting because that word is not found in the dictionary of a true believer. That means if you don’t have the word, then you can’t do the action.
So let’s just stand strong together in Jesus’ Name and bring the world to His feet in proper reverence and respect, as is our bounden duty. What did Jesus say about that? ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35)
So fellow believers, may our great, wonderful, generous and ever-LOVING God, bless and keep us safe from all harm. And may He also shine His awesome countenance on us, so that we can be filled with the overflowing LOVE and Peace that flows from His majestic and magnanimous grace.
This we pray, in the holy name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the shedding of whose blood, we have been cleansed, made whole and right with the Father. Amen. Much, much LOVE my people!
…no one comes to the Father…but through the Son, Jesus Christ…and that’s the gospel truth…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 July 2013 1 Thessalonians 3:12
01 Jul 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abound in LOVE, anger, battle hymn, british north america act, Canada Day, Christ-like behaviour, Christian nation, coherent answer, deception, discernment, discrimination, drunk or sober mind your business, enthusiasm, fraud, fruits of righteousness, glorify God, glorious kingdom, God's standards, gossip-mongering, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, increase in LOVE, incredible aura of LOVE, ingrates, invade our souls, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, light a fire, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morally pure, praise of God, pray for the church, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, resentment, roaring lion, spiritual armour, sure conquerors, the day of Christ, things that really matter, true wisdom, useful purpose, vim and vigour, weary souls, wicked taunts, wickedness, without offence, worthwhile things in life
Well Friends, it’s Monday once again… And a joyous shout comes from near and far: ‘Thank God it’s Monday; Canada Day and no work to go to! Happy Birthday Canada! Way to go! You’re still the best big country in the world to live in, bar none!’
Today’s Scrip-Bit 19 April 2013 1 Corinthians 1:22
19 Apr 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: ask in faith, christianity, destroy this temple, divine interpretation, doubleminded man, enthusiasm, fellowship, flea market, Friday chant, fun, glorious kingdom, Good Book, gouging, helpmeet, illicit trade, Jesus, jesus name, manly parts, modicum of circumspection, raise it in three days, relaxation, rest, rise to the occasion, secret chamber, seek wisdom, signs, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, true wisdom, tumultuous times, vim and vigour, whip of cords, whooping and hollering, window of rest, without doubting
1 Corinthians 1:22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
And then it was Friday… And the whooping and hollering began: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The weekend’s here at last! Thank God! Thank God! Thank God!’ Yeh Friends, that’s the kind of enthusiasm and relief that a Friday brings to our world. It’s a joy untold at a small window of rest from the rigours of the daily commute and other incidental headaches involved in labouring for massa. But that doesn’t mean we have to go overboard with the celebrations. Certainly not! We still need to control our lives with a modicum of circumspection, to keep it in line with the edicts of Jesus, our guide and helpmeet. And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant. And I don’t have to tell us to do it with vim and vigour, because that comes ever so naturally on a Friday, with the weekend in sight. (smile) Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And now that we have the right perspective on the use of the weekend, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.’ Yes Friends, it’s the same one as the last few days, because there’s still one incident regarding signs with Jesus that I want to highlight. And that comes after He cleansed the temple, made a whip of cords and ran the ole crooks and them out of His Father’s house, which they had turned into a raucous flea market, carrying on illicit trade and unashamedly gouging the people. Actually not much different to today’s merchandising behaviour. Now I like that incident because it shows that Jesus wasn’t no soft touch, no mama’s boy, He had manly parts, and when the situation called for it, He also wasn’t afraid to use them. He could rise to the occasion and be as physically tough as anybody else. And after He’s scolded them about making His Father’s house, a house of merchandise, (John 2:16) the Good Book declares: ‘Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear (raise) it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.’ (John 2:18-22) Oh my brethren, we’re certainly lucky that we were not amongst the first Christians, who understandably were scared and confused, and had to wait until Jesus rose from the dead, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost, to really understand and have a fairly clear picture of what Jesus was all about. Thankfully we now have the Good Book and all the heart-rending tales of our faith down through the ages to peruse and understand at our leisure. But there again, too many of us are not making good use of the materials and of the wisdom that’s been handed down to us. Now our Bit declares that the Greeks sought after wisdom in olden times, and everybody should do that. But unfortunately the wisdom the Greeks sought was the wisdom of man. However, the proper wisdom to seek is that of divine interpretation. And there’s only one single, solitary place to find true wisdom, as James so wisely advises us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8) Yes my fellow believers, it’s only from our great God that true wisdom can be gained by man. But then we have to ask for it in faith, without any doubts, sincerely believing that He who has promised is faithful to deliver it all. (Heb.10:23) And also, as the scholars maintain, verse 5 ‘is not a blanket promise of wisdom for any situation. In the context of life’s trials, it probably speaks of the believer being granted (1) wisdom as to the reason for his trials and (2) wisdom to endure them.’ In any case, we still have to go to God and ask for whatever we need. So Friends, please let’s get ourselves together today and faithfully approach our wonderful, generous, kind and LOVING God, asking Him for truth and wisdom to guide us on our earthly journey in these tumultuous times. Now that my brethren, is indeed the wisdom of the wise. Much LOVE!…only when God fills the secret chamber of our souls…can true wisdom be obtained…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 February 2013 Psalm 21:6
27 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: absolute hope, actions, Bible Study, blessed, Christian beliefs, christianity, confidence, darkest hour, deceitful, earthly pilgrimage, evildoers, exceedingly glad, faith, footstools, God's Word, hearts, heavy load, joy, maturity, mercy, minds, pain, powers of darkness, praise, psalm 21, religion, roadblocks, saviour jesus christ, sliding, slipping, souls, spirituality, surrender, thankfulness, treacherous, true believers, true wisdom, trust, unfortunate experience, uptempo dance, victory, virgin snow, weather forecasters
Psalm 21:6. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 August 2012 James 3:13
25 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blessings, criticising, death & destruction, demons, ego, eternal life, good conduct, good works, humility, jealousy, judging, knowledge, mature faith, peace, practicality, preacher, resentment, righteousness., salvation, selfish desires, selfishness, strife, teacher, the Word, true wisdom, understanding, wrong path
James 3:13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
All hail Friends! The morning sun is rising to bring its light to a dark and evil world, just like the Son rose from the grave in everlasting brilliance to bring us salvation and eternal life! Please give Him some thanks and praise for that, and let’s show our eternal gratitude for His LOVE and selfless behaviour by endeavouring to live earthly lives that truly reflect His character and His desires, for that’s what true followers do. Now that’s a sentence worthy of Bruh Paul’s stylistic manoeuvrings! (smile) And one of the very important things we have to safeguard in this life as believers, is the distinction between true and false wisdom. There is a lot of the latter going around these days, and it’s leading many people down the wrong path – that which leads to death and destruction. So how do we figure out right from wrong wisdom eh? James, in our Bit today gives us a clue: ‘Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge (has understanding) among you? let him show out of a good conversation (conduct) his works (that his works are done) with meekness of wisdom.’ That means my brethren, that whoever is blessed with knowledge and understanding ought to conduct his or herself suitably, ensuring that their works are done in humility. In other words, the wise person must have godly wisdom and then exhibit that wisdom in a practical, humble manner, with truth as their watchword. The scholars claim that ‘One cannot teach what one does not live.’ James then continues: ‘But if ye have bitter envying and strife (self-seeking) in your hearts, glory not (do not boast), and lie not against the truth.’ (James 3:14) And right there is the crux of many our problems my people. We have too much strife; anger, resentment, selfishness, jealousy and greed in our souls, which obviously causes us to be short-sighted, short circuited and thus distort the truth. So we obviously won’t be able to impart the truth in true humility as we ought to. As James informs us: ‘This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish (demonic). For where envying and strife is (self-seeking exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:15-16) And isn’t that the living truth Friends? It sure is, as can easily be seen by the confused, evil state of our world. That’s why in these turbulent times my people, where information, both true and false, is so readily available and can be easily manipulated to suit anyone’s purpose, we have to be very careful to whom we listen, as well as what we listen to, because we can be so unwittingly led astray by sweet-talking lying lips and guileful, snake-charming tongues. ‘But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated (willing to yield), full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is shown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:17-18) Yes Friends, those are some of the attributes we have to seek in a teacher, preacher or anyone who claims to have wisdom, and/or wants to spread the Word. I guess that includes me. (smile) Now I’m certainly not perfect, not at the top of the class either, but I do believe I have most of those attributes in sufficient quantity to do what I do reasonably well. And all praise to God, I’m growing and hopefully getting better with each passing day! As Sister Joyce, Joyce Meyer likes to say, I’m not where I want to be as yet, but I’ve surely come a long way from where I began. And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as some of you who have been with me from the early days can attest to. And that’s one of the things we believers have to recognize so we don’t get too frustrated; we don’t all begin at the same point in our walk of faith, neither do we all mature at the same rate. And we cannot mature unless we read and hear the Word, study it, and fellowship with other believers. No believer can exist in a vacuum all by themselves. That’s why Christ planted His Church, so that we can get together and help each other. Ah Friends, I didn’t mean to go off on that tangent, but it just seemed appropriate. Now getting back to our theme, let’s get some explanation from the scholars. They declare that: ‘Two wisdoms are expounded by teachers. The one from God is pure and promotes peace, ending in righteousness (vv 17-18). But the other is natural and demonic; visible in the teacher as jealousy and ambition (strife, Gr. eritheia). The result of such teaching is evil living and confusion.’ Now thank the Lord that I don’t have a jealous bone in my body! (smile) Oh, I might want what you have, but I won’t begrudge you it, or wish you ill because I don’t have it. And neither is my ambition that excessive that I will manipulate the Word to suit my own purposes. So Friends, you can rest assured that whatever I say, is what I believe to be the truth. Now we’ll end with some words of Bruh Paul to the Galatians, re our topic: ‘For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove (examine) his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.’ (Gal.6:3-5) Yes Friends, when we think ourselves above moral reproach, with no sympathy for the faults of others, then we begin to get swell-headed. As the scholars conclude; ‘Joy comes not from comparing one’s moral strengths with the weaknesses of others, but in realizing that one measures up to God’s standard by God’s help.’ Let us therefore stop judging and criticising others, as we are wont to do, and instead, help them to come up higher, as Jesus desires. Till tomorrow then, if we find favour with God, may we all go in the peace and harmony that comes from Him, and liberally blesses all who seek to serve and worship Him. Much LOVE!…please check your ego at the door…before entering the halls of God…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 May 2012 Psalm 41:9
03 May 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: abhorred, betrayal, eat bread, epistle, estranged, familiar friend, hurts, innermost secrets, magnify, rebellion, relationship with god, secret wrongs, traitor, true wisdom, unblemished
Psalm 41:9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Well top o’ the morn to all you beautiful believers in Christ! I sure hope this missive – more like an epistle – (smile) finds you all in good health and close relationship with Almighty God, for that’s the most important relationship we can ever cultivate. And having said that, here’s another prayer I found in the flyleaves of my mother’s Bible. It says: ‘Lord, help me to see my hidden sins. Those secret wrongs that lock (lurk) within. I will confess them all to thee. Transparent I will always be.’ Ah mih people, we all have sins hidden deep inside us, some that we don’t even know about, but they invariably affect our relationship with God, and often with man too. But as the prayer states, we need to ask God to help us discover them, then quickly confess them, because anything less than total transparency with the Father, negatively affects our relationship with Him, which we certainly don’t want to happen. So let’s get on that right away, that our conscience can be clear and unblemished before the Lord. And turning to our Bit: ‘Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, had lifted up his heel against (has betrayed) me.’ Now that’s a real awful truth, which many of us can attest to! Yuh know brethren, there’s nothing worse than the betrayal of a friend, someone whom you trusted with your innermost secrets. And sadly, those are the very ones who betray us in most cases. It’s logical though for that kind of person to betray us, since those who don’t know us have little or nothing to betray us with. It still hurts badly though. No Doubt Bruh David had several betrayals, given his position and lifestyle, but the first one that comes to mind is that of his counselor, Ahithophel. ‘And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.’ (2 Sam.15:12) Can you imagine how it feels Friends, for one of your trusted advisers to join with your son in rebellion against you? It’s like when Lucifer, the head angel, foolishly plotted to overthrow God. God must have been hurt by it. Lucifer was then banished to ingloriously walk the earth and suffer the rigours of Hades. Meanwhile Bruh David fled from Jerusalem because the people were in favour of Absalom. And as he lamented in Psalm 55, A cry against deceitful Friends: ‘For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne (bear) it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide (companion), and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company (in the throng of people).’ (Ps.55:12-14) Yes Friends, it really destroys you when someone you ate and drank and went to church with betrays you. But that seems to have been the lot of some men of great faith. Job, for instance, also was betrayed. Not only did God allow Lucifer to totally humble him, bring him one step removed from death, but his friends and family turned against him too. His learned buddies, Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad, even claimed that his hidden sins caused his calamity. Job says it thus: ‘’He (God) hath put my brethren (removed my brothers) far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily (completely) estranged from me. My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar (close) friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight…All my inward (close) friends abhorred me: and they whom I LOVED are turned against me.’ (Job 19:13-15,19) Yes mih people, it’s so true that when we’re riding high, everyone’s our friend, but when calamity comes, hn, we end up alone. Those same ones that enjoyed our largesse in the good times, then turn around and kick us in our time of need. What a selfish ingrate man is! That’s why, especially in these seriously troubled times, when fraud is possibly the most popular crime, we have to be extremely careful whom we associate with, or let into our confidence and inner circle, for even close family are betraying and defrauding each other these days. Oh Friends, there’s only ONE person who’s really worthy of our complete trust; that’s Jesus, our Lord and Saviour! After sacrificing His sinless life for us, what reason would He have to betray us eh? None whatsoever, my fellow believers! So let’s turn to Him nuh, in all seriousness, and sincerely ask for His help before we make any important decisions, decisions that could affect our entire lives, either negatively or positively. That my Friends, is true wisdom! More on this tomorrow, if we’re alive, for it’s a rather important topic. Much LOVE!…to trust, or not to trust…that’s the question…ask Jesus…before making a decision…
SCRIP-BITS 